Boat show introduces people to a way of life

The 37th annual Norwalk Boat Show set sail Thursday at Cove Marina with a lot of new attractions -- including an alligator catcher.

"We're always trying to make the show new, fresh and innovative, and I think we did a really good job this year pulling it off," said Jon Pritko, show manager at the National Marine Manufacturers Association, which runs the Norwalk Boat Show and 20 other boat shows around the country.

"Swampmaster" Jeff Quattrocchi will catch a live eight-foot alligator and a baby alligator will be on site for kids to handle.

Pritko said he expects Quattrocchi to be a popular attraction.

"I think having live gators at the show -- and Jeff does a really good job, -- I think anybody's interested in that kind of thing," he said.

Quattrocchi, 48, said he's been catching alligators for 19 years and swaps them every 10 days so he always has a feisty one.

"I want them mean," he said. "I want them aggressive. I'm the guy who brings the wild alligator and puts on a show."

During the Norwalk Boat Show, which runs through Sept. 23, Quattrocchi will have shows every day at noon, 3 and 5 p.m.

Other new attractions include:

The Queen Bee, a 26-foot boat that survived an unmanned, 31/2-year trip from Rhode Island to Spain after a wave tossed the boat's crew overboard by Nantucket, R.I.

Chances to try out stand-up paddleboarding and kayaks.

"Fred's Shed," a class in how to maintain and repair boats and engines, which Pritko described as similar to a "Tool Time" episode on TV.

Demonstrations of Flyboard, a new jet-propulsion technology that enables people to fly in the air and dive into the water behind a jet ski. Users can fly up to 35 ft. in the air and dive deep. Movements are controlled by tilting feet and using handheld nozzles to help with stabilization, similar to ski poles.

Pritko also said that the Norwalk Boat Show included scuba diving a few years ago, but back then it was in a small tank, and now it will be in a 15,000-gallon pool. He said the "Try It Cove," where people can kayak and see Flyboard demonstrations, also includes rides on sailboats and motorboats.

The show also features a boating simulator; classes for beginners to advanced boaters; and a docking contest, where people try to dock a remote-controlled boat in the least amount of time. A variety of kids' activities also are scheduled.

The show will feature several hundred motorboats and sailboats for sale, with sizes ranging from an eight-foot kayak to a 70-foot yacht, Pritko said. He said the boat show is a good place to find deals because manufacturers invest a lot of time and money to be at the show and are motivated to sell.

"Basically, we have a boat for every lifestyle and budget at the show," he said, adding that some boats can be financed for $250 a month.

The Norwalk Boat Show will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through 23 at Norwalk Cove Marina, 48 Calf Pasture Beach Road. Admission is $15 for adults, and free for kids 15 and younger. Some of the activities and classes have an additional cost. For information, visit www.boatshownorwalk.com